Meadowlark Gallery: The Artist Biographies

Nixon Galloway (1927-2003)

Born into a family of pilots, Nixon "Nick" Galloway wanted his career to glide in the skies. But instead of flying a plane, his livelihood became a whirlwind of wings and clouds splashed out in oils and acrylics. In 1946 at the age of 20, Galloway left the Navy as a licensed pilot after World War II. Like his father and grandfather, he wanted to fly -- but so did thousands of other military pilots, "I just decided, no way," he said.

So he landed on the next-best thing: He started to paint planes. For decades, Galloway, a Manhattan Beach resident, has pursued an aviation career on canvas. He's become more prominent in his specialty over the years. His most recent honor is having a piece depicting the Battle of Midway displayed at the newly opened Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton, Virginia. That exhibit, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the famous World War II battle, runs from Tuesday through July 13. Besides Galloway, it will feature the work of 24 other aviation artists.

"The aviation thing I just grew up with," Galloway, 65, said in the art studio at his home.

"Canvas Clouds: World War II vet recreates aviation battles in paint" by Diana L. Chapman; Daily Breeze of Manhattan Beach, California; 1992.

Nixon Galloway was an experienced professional who was well known for the broad scope of work he had produced for corporations and advertising. His paintings have been exhibited in the White House, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the Air Force Museum, and the Kennedy Space Center. For many of those years he worked as a freelance illustrator with clients such as Boeing, Hughes, NASA, Northrop, Allied Signal, American, Hawaiian, Continental and United Airlines. Two notable series that you may have seen were the UNITED AIRLINES COLLECTOR SERIES (42 paintings) and the WINGS OF AGRICULTURE calendars. (60 paintings on the history of crop-dusting). He has been President of the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, and is a graduate of Art Center College of Design. He was an Artist Fellow member and a past president of the American Society of Aviation Artists.

 

Nick passed away on January 27, 2003.


STS-8 art team member, Nixon Galloway, works on pencil drawing of Challenger on the pad at the Kennedy Space Center.
August 29, 1983

Graphite templates used by the artist for the United Airlines Collector Series.
All works are unsigned but direct from the estate of Nixon Galloway.
Photomechanical Reproductions
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